The Construction of Cheer

by Liz Isaacson

  His mouth turned dry, and he suddenly wanted to flee. He held his ground, though, because he and Montana hadn’t even talked about the thing troubling him.

  “So let’s eat,” Jeremiah finally said. “Momma will be around for everyone to talk to, so don’t worry. She’s not going anywhere.” He smiled at her with such love, and Bishop realized he needed to go see his own mother and find out what to do about Aurora.

  He’d been approved to build his house, but he hadn’t started on it yet. He wanted Montana to design it and build it with him, but he couldn’t do that until he asked her to marry him. And he couldn’t do that until she brought up the topic.

  The crowd seemed to swell and move as a unit, and Bishop stepped out of the way to let the Walkers go first. He pressed his back into the wall and leaned down to talk to Montana again. His heart beat like a big bass drum, and he could barely hear himself as he said, “I got approval to build a house here on the ranch. Want to see where?”

  “Yes, please,” she said. “I’m going to have a panic attack in here.” She looked at him with anxiety in her expression, and he smiled at her. Then he took her into the kitchen and out the door there.

  The land spread before him, the stand of trees that would be his back yard only a couple hundred yards away. “Right there.”

  “Right here?”

  “I got an acre,” he said. “Right here. Goes right up against the trees. I’ll put in a road around the tower in the front there, and we’ll improve the parking here. I even got Ranger and Bear to approve paving the road from the homestead to here.” He smiled at her again and returned his gaze to the land he loved.

  His next words could spark some danger though. In that moment, Bishop realized he was ready to get burned. “I don’t want to rush you or anything,” he said. “But I want the house—I mean.” He cleared his throat, so much more nervous when she turned to look at him. “I’m thinking of it as our house.”

  He met her eyes as hers widened. Words poured out of him then, and Bishop couldn’t hold them back if he tried. “I want you to design it. Any way you want. I want the two of us—make that three of us—to build it together. I know we’re not ready for marriage yet. I know that. I still need time to get to know your daughter, and we need to talk about how that’s going to work so we’re all going to be happy, and I know you’re not in a place where you can say you love me and you’re not just happier than you’ve ever been.”

  He paused to take a breath, about to blow everything wide open. “But I love you, Montana, and I can say it and know it’s true.” His courage failed then, because uttering those three words took so much more than he’d ever realized. “I’ve never told anyone that before,” he said, his voice half the volume it had once been. “But I can feel it. I know it.” He pressed his fist over his heart. “I’m in love with you, and I want to build a house with you, and a family, and a future, right here at Shiloh Ridge.”

  Bishop sucked in a breath. What if she didn’t want any of that? “I mean—”

  “I heard you,” Montana said. She continued to search his face, and Bishop sincerely prayed that she’d find the answers she needed right there.

  “We haven’t talked about any of this,” he said, ducking his head so she’d stop staring at him. “I don’t need to right now either. I guess I do need to know one thing though.”

  He took a moment to center his thoughts. “I need to know if any of that sounds appealing to you at all.” He looked out over the land he loved, and the exact future he wanted. He could almost see it. They’d paint the house yellow, and it would have navy blue shutters. He’d get Aurora the black and white puppy she wanted, and they’d have Jackie and Bob over every Sunday for lunch after church.

  He clued back into the present when he realized Montana hadn’t answered. “If you’d rather not live up here, I can—”

  “It all sounds like a dream come true,” Montana said.

  Bishop’s gaze flew back to hers, his heart beating impossibly fast now. “Really?”

  She took his face in her hands and kissed him, and Bishop wasn’t entirely sure, because he’d never been loved by a woman like Montana, but her kiss sure felt like she was in love with him too.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Montana pushed into the coffee house and spotted Micah instantly. It wasn’t hard, as this was more of a hipster place among twenty-somethings, and neither she nor Micah fit that description.

  He rose and shook her hand, saying, “You found it,” before he gestured to the seat across from him. A thick file folder sat on the table in front of him, as did a half-drunk cup of coffee.

  Nerves fluttered through her stomach. “I’m not late, am I?”

  “Not at all,” he said easily. He didn’t let his gaze roam, and his attention centered on her. “I had another meeting that ended early, and I just came here to wait.” He lifted one hand to signal a barista. “What do you want?”

  “Oh, uh.” Montana looked up at the woman who arrived. “I’ll take herbal tea, please.” She’d already consumed enough coffee that morning as she tried to soothe her nerves about having Aurora and Bishop go shopping together.

  But she’d spoken to her daughter about Bishop and admitted things between them were very serious. Aurora had picked up the pieces Montana had put down, and she’d instantly said, “I should get to know him better, shouldn’t I, Mom?”

  “Yes,” Montana had said. They’d spent some time together, sure. Bishop had been at the Fourth of July picnic at Aunt Jackie’s. They’d gone to the Harvest Festival together, and they’d even walked around the booths together while Montana stayed in the one Bear had set up for locally owned and operated services for the town of Three Rivers.

  Aurora already had his phone number, and she’d immediately texted Bishop and asked him to take her to the mall to shop for new jeans.

  Montana hated shopping with a passion, and Aurora had proclaimed that this was a perfect solution for her problem of needing new jeans and getting to know Bishop. They had a lunch date after the shopping, and Montana couldn’t wait to hear both sides of how everything had gone.

  It also turned out that coffee did not soothe nerves. In fact, it only enhanced them.

  Micah flipped open his folder and said, “Okay, so Bishop said you’re particularly skilled with custom pieces.” He looked up as Montana pulled in a long breath. “Cabinetry, built-in bookcases and shelving units. Mantles. Not only that, but your attention to detail when it comes to things no one sees but that really matter.”

  Montana needed something to hold in her hand, but her tea hadn’t come yet. “Bishop—uh, Bishop said all that?” When had Micah talked to Bishop? Why hadn’t Bishop told her?

  “Yeah,” Micah said, his dark eyes glinting with curiosity. “When he called me and said we should partner.” His words slowed near the end of the sentence, and he leaned back in his chair. “He didn’t tell you he called me.”

  Montana felt like throwing up. The waitress arrived with her tea, and Montana lunged for it. She gulped it, ignoring the scalding temperature as it burned her mouth, tongue, and throat. She shook her head, determined not to cry in front of Micah Walker and all these hipsters in this coffee house.

  She looked left and saw three cats jump up on the bench next to two women. They seemed thrilled to be sharing their coffee with cats, and Montana had no idea what world she’d entered.

  One where Bishop did things for her she absolutely did not want him to do.

  “How long ago did he call you?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” Micah said. “In the spring? Maybe early summer.”

  Months. He’d called Micah Walker months ago. Probably right after she’d started working at Shiloh Ridge.

  She lifted her chin and looked him in the eye. “Had you heard of me before?”

  Apology entered his expression, and Montana had her answer.

  She nodded, too angry and too numb at the same time to ask another question. None of the answe
rs would matter. She bent and reached into her purse. She took out a ten-dollar bill and set it on the table. “I’m sorry he wasted your time.”

  She stood and headed for the door. Once free of the insufferable coffee shop, Montana scoffed out some of her fury. “How dare he?” she asked herself as she strode toward her truck.

  “Montana, wait,” Micah called behind her.

  She paused, inhaling to try to maintain her composure. Micah caught up to her. “I’m sure he didn’t mean to upset you. I know I didn’t.”

  “It’s fine, Micah,” she said crisply. “This is not your problem.”

  “I still want to work with you,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to me how I found out about you. You’re incredibly talented, and I think we could dominate the marketplace together.”

  She did not want to say anything she’d regret later. Her ill feelings for Micah belonged to her—and she’d since passed them on to the Lord anyway. It would do no good for her to tell Micah what she’d thought of him all these months.

  “I appreciate that,” she said. “Perhaps we can set up another meeting.”

  “This one took weeks to arrange,” he said. “Please. Let’s go somewhere else.” He glanced back toward the coffee house. “I didn’t realize there would be cats there.”

  For some reason, the disdainful tone of his voice struck Montana as funny. She laughed, which released some of the tension that had formed between them. “I think you were the only one wearing a cowboy hat, which is saying something in this town.”

  “Right?” He chuckled too. “Is it too early for lunch?” He glanced around like a suitable restaurant would manifest itself in the parking lot.

  “The pancake house is always open,” she said. “I think I need a lot of carbs before I talk to Bishop again anyway.” She gave him a tight smile, but Micah looked nervous.

  “I’m afraid I’ve gotten him in trouble.”

  “Oh, that’s also not your problem,” Montana said. “The man’s mouth got him in trouble, and that has nothing to do with you.”

  Micah cocked his head to the side. “Are you serious about this partnership?”

  The question took Montana by surprise. “Yes.” She studied him back. “What makes you think I’m not?”

  “You just walked out, because Bishop called me months ago and told me about you. You were quite cold at the library board meeting, at least in the beginning.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. You don’t seem to like me very much.”

  “I don’t,” Montana said before she could censor herself. She clapped one hand over her mouth in the next moment.

  Micah’s eyebrows rose, his eyes widened, and he blinked several times. “Oh, okay.” He gave a nervous chuckle. “I don’t—I don’t know what to do with that.” A measure of darkness entered his expression. “Maybe I should’ve just let you go.”

  “Let me explain,” Montana said, her heart crashing against her ribs. She might not need Micah Walker in the future. Because she’d won the library bid, her name was all over the news in Three Rivers, and she’d already gotten a couple of calls about remodeling jobs. But hadn’t she told Aurora never to burn a bridge? She might need this major connection in the future.

  She sighed, grateful he hadn’t walked away yet. “Let me buy you breakfast, and I’ll do my best to explain.”

  Micah’s jaw tightened, and indecision warred across his face. He finally said, “Okay. I’ll meet you at the pancake house,” which caused relief to cascade through Montana.

  She talked out loud to herself all the way to the pancake house, telling herself she could do this. She could get this partnership on her own—with her work, her work ethic, and her explanation.

  Near the end there, she chewed out Bishop for calling Micah when it wasn’t his place to do so. She almost called him before she went inside the pancake house, but she decided she didn’t want to punish Aurora for Bishop’s mistake.

  There would be plenty of time to talk to him later.

  She watched Micah walk into the pancake house, and Montana got out of her truck. “Time to fix this,” she said, glancing up into the autumn sky. “Any help You can send would be appreciated.”

  But as Montana walked into the pancake house behind Micah Walker, she had the feeling she was on her own this time.

  Hours later—long past lunchtime—Bishop’s big black truck finally pulled into Montana’s aunt’s driveway. She sat in the swing, and up until she’d heard the roar of his engine, she’d been enjoying the peace of the afternoon.

  Now, she felt like she’d lose all those chocolate chip pancakes she’d consumed.

  She looked at the folder on the swing beside her. It held the signed contract between her and Micah Walker, who’d listened to Montana’s explanation and apologized again, though he’d done nothing wrong.

  I’m a bit of a bulldog, he’d said. I just barrel through things without a lot of thought. I’m sure I took business from you unintentionally. I apologize for that.

  And because he had so much money and so much charisma and so many connections, his business had thrived while she hadn’t even been able to get hers off the ground.

  That situation fixed, he wisely hadn’t brought up Bishop again, and they’d focused on her previous work, and he’d proposed a twelve-month contract where they worked together on select projects. They’d choose which ones they each brought to the partnership, and they’d meet regularly to keep their goals aligned.

  He had one he wanted her hand in already, and she’d brought home the customer’s in-take form to go over, and she and Micah were meeting in a few days to talk about their individual plans and to learn how the other worked.

  Montana could admit she was excited about the partnership. It was something she’d never done before, and it could open a lot of doors for her.

  Aurora got out of the truck laughing, and that too helped to center Montana. She and Bishop were supposed to spend the evening together, and Montana didn’t want to break-up with him. She simply didn’t know how this conversation would go.

  Bishop and Aurora came up the steps, both of them carrying shopping bags.

  “How much stuff did you buy?” she asked, getting to her feet.

  “Mom,” Aurora said, rushing toward her. “You would not believe the sale they were having at Williams’.” She continued to gush over the prices and the cute things they had on sale.

  She could talk and talk, and Montana nodded and hummed as they went into the house. As Aurora detailed the boys she ran into and what Bishop had said to them, Montana watched Bishop. He couldn’t stop smiling, and he interjected some of the story too.

  Montana did her best to smile and play along like she was thrilled things had gone so well that day.

  “Fashion show,” Bishop said. “I’m sure your mom wants to see what we got.”

  “Do you?” Aurora bounced on the balls of her feet, and Montana grinned.

  “Of course. Fashion show.”

  Aurora squealed and took her bags into the bathroom, as her bedroom was on the second floor. “I’m not climbing up and down,” she called.

  Montana took a breath with the relief of the resulting silence.

  Bishop took her into his arms. “She’s fantastic.”

  “I think so too,” Montana said. “She just talks a lot.”

  “I had so much fun with her.”

  “I’m not sure what that says about you,” she said, only half-teasing.

  Bishop laughed too, and Montana didn’t want to say anything to ruin this day. She’d been swallowing her feelings for decades. They actually went down easily, but Montana knew what happened with them after that.

  They festered and grew into resentment. The negative things she felt for Bishop right now would not simply go away. She wouldn’t “get over them.” Hadn’t she learned that over the past several months?

  The only way to heal was to speak. She could be kind and honest at the same time.

  “Bishop,” she said.

&n
bsp; “How was your meeting with Micah?” he asked, his eyes bright and interested. “What did he have to say?”

  Montana looked at the man in front of her. He’d made her life so much better. He’d taken a chance on her, a pathetic carpenter looking for work by knocking on doors and asking for it.

  He’d taught her so much about herself, and about the Lord.

  She loved this man standing in front of her, and it wasn’t because she was in pain. It wasn’t because she was engaged. It wasn’t because her life was just better than before, so of course her renewed happiness would feel like love.

  When he’d told her he loved her a few weeks ago, Montana hadn’t said the words out loud to him. She’d only kissed him, hoping that would be enough for now.

  “Montana?” he asked.

  “Okay,” Aurora said, her voice loud and piercing. “Here’s the first pair.”

  Montana turned away from Bishop to look at her daughter’s jeans. “Oh, those are so cute.” She let her gaze drip down the length of her daughter’s legs, the purposeful rips in the jeans, the cute roughed-up cuffs on her ankles. “That blouse is new too.”

  “Yes,” she said, looking down at the dark purple blouse with yellow and white butterflies on it. “Bishop found it. Isn’t it so cute?” She did a little twirl, and Montana loved seeing her daughter so happy.

  She was generally a happy child anyway, but this was a new level of joy Montana hadn’t seen in a while. Maybe because you never take her shopping and let her buy whatever she wants.

  Montana didn’t have a lot of money for new school clothes, and Aurora had never made a big deal of it.

  She knew now that her daughter loved clothes and would like new ones a lot more often than Montana had been able to deliver them.

  Inadequacy filled her. This was just another gap in her daughter’s life she couldn’t fill. Another space Bishop had filled instead.

  “Love it,” Bishop said, grinning at Aurora. She squealed and twisted to go back into the bathroom.

  Montana couldn’t hold back her tears, and she sniffled as the door clicked closed.